How decisions are made and who represents you
In accordance with the Council's Code of Conduct, councillors are reminded that it is a requirement to declare interests where appropriate.
Minutes:
The Legal Clerk advised that they had been made aware that some Councillors had been involved in matters relating to the dispute relating to the private hire operator at the concession at Gatwick Airport and some private hire drivers working at Gatwick. In light of this, the Legal Clerk advised the Committee to consider whether it had any disclosable Interests in the item of business before it. In addition, the Legal Clerk reminded the Committee that it was of fundamental importance that the Committee remained open to listening to all the submissions put forward at the meeting and remained open to changing its mind in light of those submissions. Should any Committee Member believe they had pre-determined their position (i.e. that their mind was made up as to how they would vote prior to the meeting), they should declare as such and withdraw from the meeting.
At this point in the meeting a Committee Member raised a Point of Order, and questioned whether the Legal Clerk, who was not a Council employee but had been appointed to represent the Council for the meeting, was authorised to attend the meeting in the capacity of ‘Legal Clerk’. The Committee was advised that the Legal Clerk had been properly appointed to represent the Committee and the Chair ruled that Mr Lewin be authorised to continue to represent the Council in that capacity for the meeting.
Following a query relating to pre-determination and whether the requirements and enforcement in relation to it were still in place following the Localism Act 2011, the Legal Clerk acknowledged that the rules regarding pre-determination had changed. The Legal Clerk however advised that the change did not remove the principle of pre-determination altogether and it was important that Councillors consider any matter before them with an open mind. The Legal Clerk reminded the Committee that it was a matter for each individual Committee Member to consider whether they might have pre-determined.
Councillor Jones stated they were not aware of any Committee Member, including himself, who had pre-determined their position in relation to the matter on the agenda.
Councillors Ali, Irvine, Jones, Lamb and Nawaz confirmed that they had received some form of lobbying in respect of Agenda Item 4 (Variation to the Crawley Borough Council Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Licensing Policy). In response to a concern raised by a member of the Committee, the Democratic Services Officer assured the Committee that lobbying was not classed as an Interest and would be minuted as lobbying. During the debate of the agenda item Councillor Jones informed the Committee that, he had entered into some external correspondence, those discussions had not referenced teal plates nor the matter under discussion at this meeting.
The following disclosures of interests were made:
Councillor |
Item and Minute |
Type and Nature of Disclosure
|
Councillor Irvine |
Variation to the Crawley Borough Council Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Licensing Policy (Minute 3) |
Personal Interest – member of the Unite the Union. |
Councillor Lamb |
Variation to the Crawley Borough Council Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Licensing Policy (Minute 3) |
Personal Interest – member of the Unite the Union. |